Garnett’s decision to return changed everything for Celtics

WALTHAM – When last seen by Celtics fans, Kevin Garnett had quickly exited the court at American Airlines Arena, leaving the congratulatory handshakes for the Miami Heat to his teammates.He stiffed the...

WALTHAM – When last seen by Celtics fans, Kevin Garnett had quickly exited the court at American Airlines Arena, leaving the congratulatory handshakes for the Miami Heat to his teammates.

He stiffed the press corps as well and breezed off into the South Florida night, perhaps never to be seen again. At least that was a potential scenario in the eyes of media, fans and, most importantly, even his teammates.

“The last game in Miami, Kevin and I rode the bus back together,” said guard Rajon Rondo, “and I asked him right away: `What are you going to do? I would really like it if you come back.’ He said he didn’t know. He had to listen to his body and how he felt mentally.”

Paul Pierce did have the decency to meet with the press that night but the long face he wore spoke not only to the conclusion of a long season but also his doubts about the Celtics bringing back both Garnett and Ray Allen.

“I really wasn’t confident he was coming back,” Pierce said. “He said, `This is it for me.’ People didn’t know this but I’d be in the locker room (and ask), `Is this your last year?’ He’d say, `This is it.’ I’d say, `If you retire, I’m going to retire.’’

No doubt swayed by a bountiful ($36 million, 3 years) contract and an impressive final few months of his 17th NBA season, Garnett is back. So are fellow Celtic free agents Brandon Bass, Jeff Green and Chris Wilcox, plus a slew of new faces (nine). The only key missing piece is Allen, the 37-year-old shooter who took his 3-point bombing down to Miami. The dramatically remade Celtics are set to begin another chase at a championship and while they will ride veterans Pierce and Garnett hard, they have gotten younger and deeper in the offseason.

“I’m the same old guy,” Garnett said Friday at the Celtics’ Media Day. “I watch film, I do the same old things I’ve been doing since I came into the league. Just because I was getting older, you guys were looking for the dropoff, but what you gotta know is I’m motivated and I work really hard and when you put those two together, (good) things come out.”

While Garnett clearly enjoyed keeping his teammates and the entire NBA in the dark on his career plans last spring, there were always signs that the team saw that kept him in their plans. Coach Doc Rivers said that Garnett told him he might wrap his career up “but I never believed it. I told him that all the time. ... He just has too much passion. You don’t usually see guys with the fire burning high at the level that he’s played and just turn it off. It’s just unnatural.”

As teammate Pierce said, “Kevin’s been in the NBA since he was 18. He doesn’t know anything else. What is he going to do? He has to come back. This is in his blood. This is what he was born to do.”

Garnett said he did think about retiring but was swayed by general manager Danny Ainge and the lure of a second championship with the Celtics.

"I did give it some real thought," said Garnett. "With free agency coming up, I didn’t want to think about another team or anything like that. My retirement, obviously, would have been a personal decision, based on family and whatever reasons I have. My number one reason for coming back, obviously, was Doc. Doc being here is huge; I enjoy playing for him. The guys, the city, the fans here are by far the best fans that I’ve ever been a part of.”

Once Garnett was re-signed, Ainge kept rolling. His first call at the start of the free-agency period was to veteran shooter Jason Terry. He’ll be the team’s designated sixth man and help a bench that petered out badly in the playoffs. Both Green and Wilcox are coming off heart surgery but say they’re ready to resume their promising careers. The Celtics were so convinced about that fact that they awarded Green a four-year, $36-million deal.

“A lot of people at the end of last year thought that would probably be our last run and that we’d be broken up and that we’d be rebuilding,” said Pierce, “but when he made the moves that he did. … Once I saw that we signed a 35-year-old Jason Terry, I knew that we were trying to win another championship and not rebuilding.”

Rivers will welcome back starters Pierce, Garnett, Bass and Rondo and hang in for injured guard Avery Bradley (two shoulder surgeries) hopefully by Christmas. His ability to inject Terry, Green, Wilcox, Courtney Lee, rookie Jared Sullinger and others into the mix will prove interesting to watch.

“Danny and his staff did an amazing job,” Rivers said. “A lot of things had to happen for us.”

Asked if his team can make another championship run, Rivers quickly said yes. A Game Seven road loss to the eventual NBA champs tells him his group was close, but needed a bit of help.

“We have one target and that’s Miami,” said Rivers. “Miami has improved getting Ray. Our division is tough. Philly really improved. They add (Andrew) Bynum. The Brooklyn Nets are better and the Knicks will be a lot better. It’s going to be a hard year for us and everyone else.”